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[RayS]

Hi Alan,

IIUC, ASCOM is a set of Windows COM objects which provides a
standardised API for controlling telescopes. Since it uses Windows
COM, you should be able to control it easily from python using the
excellent win32 extensions.

Yes, I had seen it, and it looks well developed - but - it _requires_
Windows COM. (I do use Win32 and ctypes for talking to interface
cards and such, that I actually get paid for) but even the company I
do it for is migrating to LINUX (slowly) by customer demand (!) and I
guess don't want to do new COM projects.

INDI actually looks like a great project - but - it's _only_ LINUX...
http://indi.sourceforge.net/

There are a good number of professional astro Python creations
supported by STSCI and Enthought
http://www.stsci.edu/resources/software_hardware/

Kstars http://edu.kde.org/kstars/indi.php looks nice but uses its
own scripting and only runs on LINUX

I see the professional Astronomy community moving to Python, and I
think it's a good idea to ride their coat-tails; university projects
like Galileo and DRACO use Meade LX's as undergraduate study tools,
with Python/LINUX.

Thanks for the reply,
Ray